1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle-mounted electronic apparatus in which a face formed on the front surface of a case can be accommodated in the case in a horizontal orientation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicle-mounted electronic apparatuses used for audio or car navigation are arranged such that a case of a 1DIN size or the like is embedded in a dashboard, an instrument panel, or the like in a passenger compartment, and a face disposed on the front portion of the case appears on a surface which is substantially flush with the dashboard or the instrument panel. Electronic circuits and various types of recording medium drive units, which are accommodated in the case, are controlled by manipulation members disposed on the surface of the face.
In this type of vehicle-mounted electronic apparatus, the face usually is secured to the front surface of a case or circularly movable to an inclined orientation in front of the case.
In vehicle-mounted electronic apparatuses, however, when a face is secured to the front surface of a case or disposed in an inclined orientation, the face is located on the front surface of the vehicle-mounted electronic apparatus at all times. Thus, the apparatus can be easily recognized from the outside appearance thereof, which causes a problem that it may be stolen from the passenger compartment. Further, in an electronic apparatus in which a face circularly moves in front of a case, the inclined orientation of the face permits a recording medium insertion port and the like located on the front surface of the case to be exposed. However, it is difficult to effectively utilize the front surface of the case located on the back side of the face in a wide range.
Thus, when an opening is formed in a case so that a face can be accommodated in the case from the opening in a horizontal orientation, a vehicle-mounted electronic apparatus cannot be recognized from the outside appearance thereof, and the theft thereof can be prevented. Further, the front surface of the case widely appears in a state in which the face is accommodated in the case, which makes it possible to constitute a wide variety of vehicle-mounted electronic apparatuses by disposing, for example, many manipulation members on the front surface of the case.
However, in this structure in which the face is accommodated in the case, there is a possibility that manipulation members such as a rotary knob, a push button, and the like come into contact with the edge of the opening of the case when the face is accommodated in the case. To cope with this problem, a gap or a cut-out through which the manipulation members pass must be formed between the manipulation surface of the face and the edge of the opening. However, when the size of the gap is increased or the cut-out is made, the opening cannot be sufficiently closed at a time the face is accommodated in the case. Further, the gap or the cut-out appears on the front surface of the case in a state in which the face is accommodated, whereby the outside appearance of the case is spoiled.
Furthermore, when the size of projection of the manipulation members projecting from the manipulation surface of the face was reduced, it became difficult to manipulate the manipulation members with fingers when the face is located on the front portion of the case.